Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Taliban have launched their spring offensive , their annual spate of attacks targeting foreign bases , government officials and Afghan police , a Taliban spokesman said Sunday .

On Sunday morning , a roadside bomb killed three police officers in Afghanistan 's Ghazni province , provincial spokesman Nabi Jan said . A Ghanzi deputy police chief was among those killed , and two other officers were injured , Jan said .

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack -- and said more will come .

`` Today was our first day of the new operation , and we conducted many operations in several provinces such as Ghazni province , Kapisa province and Nangarhar province , '' Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told CNN .

He said the new spring offensive will target foreign military bases and foreign convoys as well as attacks on Afghan National Police and the Kabul government . The group will use suicide attacks and rockets , Mujahid said .

`` We hope to plan and conduct more attacks on foreign troops so as to force them to leave Afghanistan , '' the Taliban spokesman added .

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan was sheltering the al Qaeda terror network when it launched attacks against the United States on September 11 , 2001 . The next month , the United States cranked up military operations that led to the toppling of the Taliban government .

Ever since , international forces have been fighting radical Islamic militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan .

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3 officers , including a deputy police chief , are killed in a roadside bombing

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The Taliban claims responsibility for the blast and says it 's starting a new offensive

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The group vows to target foreign troops as well as local government and police